Top 5
Weight Loss Misconceptions

5. Food Choice does not Matter, Caloric Intake Does

"I'm only going to eat 1 serving of that Bag of Potato
Chips and I'll be Okay"

It is no coincidence that over the last 100 years as large quantities of
food has become more accessible to the masses that worldwide waistlines have
been rapidly expanding.

We gain weight because we consume more calories than we burn with our fast
food diets combined with sedentary lifestyle.

Many people fail to realize that food choice has a direct influence on your
caloric intake and when caloric intake is solely focused on, the vast majority
over consumes calories and fails to achieve their goals.

Why this Misconception is Prevalent

The problem is not that this is a big secret but it is significantly easier
to focus on one or the other than both. Most people who are struggling in
their attempt to lose weight focus on caloric intake or the following.

4. Caloric Intake Does Not Matter, Food Choice Does

"I can't see why I'm not losing weight, I eat Healthy"

As mentioned with number 5 on this list of the top 5 fitness and nutrition
misconceptions attempting to control calories and disregarding food choice is a
recipe for failure, no pun intended.

When consuming a balanced diet consisting of healthy food it is more
difficult to over consume calories because a healthy, balanced diet provides
more satiety than consuming junk foods.

Self discipline is almost always the most important factor while on a weight
loss diet. While making proper food choices is a very effective way to
control caloric intake, by no means is it a substitute for keeping track of it.

Why this Misconception is Prevalent

Again, it is easier to monitor one versus the other than both caloric intake
and food choices. Self discipline is always going to be primary limiting
factor when it comes to weight loss diets but keeping track of caloric intake
and making proper food choices is always going to be the best way to lose weight
while you diet and exercise.

3. Weight Training is Better for Weight Loss than Cardio

"I'm not Doing Cardio to lose weight because Muscle Burns
Fat so I will only Lift Weights"

Let's face it. Most people who are looking to lose weight are not
looking to lose a pound or 2 but they are looking to lose 10, 15 and even 20+
pounds.

Weight loss is a pretty simple concept to grasp. Burn more calories
than you consume you will lose weight.

Cardiovascular exercise, especially that of the higher intensity variety
burns a very high number of calories compared to weight training making it a
better overall choice for weight loss.

The best weight loss choice is of course a balanced, physically active
lifestyle which includes the five components of physical fitness as well as a healthy diet,
however, this is
often very difficult as our responsibilities often lead to sedentary lifestyles.

For the majority of weight loss clients, losing 20+ pounds performing weight
training only is not the best way to go. If you have 2 pounds of flab you
would like to lose and "tone up" then maybe weight training would be the
preferred method because you could literally lower your body composition by
adding a bit of muscle and burning a small amount of fat.

Why this Misconception is Prevalent

Believe it or not, in the early and mid 1900s weight training was somewhat of
an underground freakshow. That may be an overstatement but the point is
that weight training has not been mainstream up until the past couple decades.

Now that it is widely known that weight training "good" it is often being
exploited by the media, and even health and fitness experts. Since most
people who are willing to spend money on fitness are looking to lose weight, now
all of a sudden weight training is THE way to lose weight which it is not.

2. What Works for Someone Else will Work Equally well for Yourself

"I'm trying to lose with the New Acai Berry Cleanse, it
helped Oprah Lost 50 Pounds"

When someone you know or trust loses weight with a specific method it is very
tempting to follow suit

Whether it is buying supplements, fitness products and/or workout programs
off as-seen-on-TV infomercials or following a friend or family member's personal
advice, the testimonial has always been a powerful selling tool.

Following the "advice" of a testimonial more often than not turns out to
cause infinite heartache and be a powerful blow to many people's wallets

The fact is the human body is very complex piece of biological machinery and
no two are identical.

There are certain proven scientific rules and guidelines to follow which will
set you on the correct path to weight loss but there is always going to be some
navigation left for you. Regardless of the known science and research out
there, often times the only research that matters is the effects of what you
personally do for yourself.

Why this Misconception is Prevalent

The media is again partially to blame. In this day and age the majority
of people are "plugged in" whether it be the TV or the internet. It is
exponentially easier to pick up the phone or enter your credit card number on a
website to buy a product based on a testimonial than it is to research the
science backed solutions to your weight loss goals.

1. Losing Any Weight is Good Weight

Hooray for dehydrating yourself! Your body consists primarily of water and your
water weight can fluctuate anywhere from 2-10 pounds per day depending on your
body weight.

Depleting your body's carbohydrate levels is one way to lower how much water
your body retains and since water is so heavy it has significant effects on your
scale weight. Losing 10 pounds of water has absolutely nothing to with how
your body will look long-term.

This is just one example of why scale weight is overemphasized in today's weight
loss world.

Numero uno of the top 5 weight loss misconceptions has seemingly never been
widely understood. It is so hard to see why being the simple concept that
it is.

Simplified, your body consists of fat mass which is what you can pinch under
your skin and lean body mass which is everything else. In order for your
body to look its best, you must either reduce your body fat, gain some lean body
mass or a combination of both. This requires consuming less calories than
you burn which is best achieved by a balanced, low calorie diet and a complete
exercise program.

Why this Misconception is Prevalent

Simplicity always wins over complexity. It is easier to talk about and
monitor losing and gaining weight than it is separating the body into multiple
components and measuring body composition. Many people simply do not
understand the rather simple concept of body composition.

It seems that basic fitness education early in life is either inadequate or
goes in one ear and out the other. Educating yourself about scale weight,
body fat and lean body mass could be the difference between a successful weight
loss program and a yet another failure.